Sussex on the ropes

9:02pm Friday 16th May 2008

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Sussex will need to show resolve and application sorely lacking today if they are to escape from Taunton with a draw.

Although batting conditions were not ideal there was little excuse for the champions losing nine wickets in 34 overs against Somerset after Carl Hopkinson and Mike Yardy had looked relatively untroubled while putting on 100 for the second wicket.

South African left-armer Charl Willoughby was a constant threat because of his ability to swing the ball both ways, but the rest of the Somerset seam attack has a samey look to it.

Even they looked mildly surprised as a succession of Sussex batsmen proved compliant in their own downfalls and if Somerset had not dropped five catches the visitors' embarrassment would have been more acute.

Chris Adams, who made his first half-century of the season, was reprieved on three occasions but after Yardy and Hopkinson had been parted in the last over before lunch the many Sussex supporters who have made this trip always had that uncomfortable feeling that another wicket was never far away.

The light was seldom better than poor all day and four stoppages for rain, which took 27 overs off the day's allocation, would not have helped maintain concentration levels.

Few balls misbehaved off the pitch, however, and there were plenty of West Country voices prepared to argue, with every justification, that Sussex deserved to bat in the worst of the conditions after sticking Somerset in under blue skies on the first day.

The county just about managed to scramble a batting point but they were following on shortly after tea 354 behind and immediately Chris Nash bagged a pair when Willoughby slanted the first ball of the second innings back into him.

Somerset employed ultra-attacking fields in search of another breakthrough with seven men in a catching arc between wicketkeeper Craig Keiswetter, who had earlier bagged five catches, and point but Yardy and Hopkinson survived and, with rain forecast, Sussex may yet escape.

A video of the day's dimissals will not make happy viewing for their top order.

The frustrating thing was that Hopkinson and Yardy showed that more than mere survival was possible when they prospered before lunch.

Yardy was dropped in the gully on 28 but there were eight boundaries in a fluent first Championship half-century of the season until he shuffled across a straight one from Ben Phillips.

To compound his disappointment, the over from Phillips had started when Yardy should have been walking off for lunch.

His dismissal triggered an afternoon procession as Murray Goodwin, who bagged his first duck in 17 Championship innings, Matt Prior, Luke Wright, Adams and Robin Martin-Jenkins perished to either sloppy shot selection or a lack of footwork.

Adams was dropped on six, 11 and 41 on his way to a 64-ball half-century which included seven boundaries but, just when he appeared to be settling down, he guided the first ball in a new spell from Phillips straight to square leg.

Hopkinson had earlier squandered his dilligent work when he fell in identical fashion to Yardy one short of 50.

Of the top order, he looks in the best form at the moment and a couple of straight drives were as good as anything seen in the first three days.

Ollie Rayner had to farm the strike carefully at the end just to guide Sussex past 200, a milestone greeted with a huge cheer from the Sussex contingent in the Ian Botham stand.

With Jason Lewry promoted to No. 10 to accomodate Corey Collymore, Sussex's tail looks long again while their confidence will need lifting, regardless of whether they can escape with a draw.